1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arresting device for a rear seat back which allows the seat back to be folded forward to correct the passenger room with the trunk room (to be called trunk-through hereafter).
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of a presently available arresting device for rear seat backs with trunk-through is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. (Refer Japanese Utility Model Publications No. 7296/1982, 147128/1982).
As shown in FIG. 1, rear seat 1 includes a seat cusion 2 and a seat back assembly 3. The seat back assembly 3 includes a gate shaped side component 4, and seat back members 5, 6 separated to the left and right and enclosed by the side member 4. Since the seat back members 5 and 6 are the same as each other, the operation of only one of them will be explained here. A rear side 5a of the seat back member 5 is provided with a retainer 7. An opening of the retainer 7 is an inserting opening 10 for a first striker 9 which is fixed to the chassis 8. And inside of the opening 10, a locking device 11 is placed. This locking device 11 comprises a base frame 12 which is fixed to the frame of the seat back component 5, and a lock lever 15 which is supported at a shaft 13 of the base frame 12 and is energized with the spring 14 towards a direction for engaging the striker 9. A strap 17 is provided to the elongated part 16 of the lock lever 15 as a releasing means for releasing the engagement of the lock lever. An enclosed space is formed by an engaging part 18 of the lock lever 15 with a notch 19 of the base frame 12.
However, such a prior art arresting device for rear seat backs with trunk-through is unsatisfactory in the cases where access to the truck room is undersirable when the car is parked with the passenger room door open, or when the door lock is damaged, or when the car is lent to third party and the car key is temporarily handed over because the locking lever 15 can be easily turned by drawing out the strap 17 from the passenger room and access can be made to the trunk room inside from the trunk-through by folding down the rear seat back towards the forward side.